


Justista

by TunnelScreamer



Series: Bold Hope [3]
Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hup (mentioned), Secret Relationship, Tavra (mentioned), hard workin' podlings, mild book abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:33:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TunnelScreamer/pseuds/TunnelScreamer
Summary: Brea needs answers. She wants to understand the wisdom of the skeksis. It's a difficult task which only becomes harder as books become scarce. Meanwhile Seladon is distracted, infatuated with a traitor.
Relationships: Gurjin/Seladon (Dark Crystal)
Series: Bold Hope [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1754053
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	Justista

Brea flipped through the pages of her journal. Her eyes passed over the words, the wisdom of the skeksis copied in her own hand. As she read, a thought crossed her mind, the law was no better than a myth if it did not live in the actions of those with power. She wished she’d said this to her mother at the feast instead of thinking it alone in her room. 

Scolded and sent to bed like a child, she found little comfort in knowing she was right.

The books she wanted were at the library, but for now her notes would do. A crystal lamp flickered on the table beside her, it’s glossy light twinkling in the otherwise dark room. Snow tapped at the windowpane, collecting at its edges and framing the blackness outside. 

_ The accused _ , she read the word in her notes. They had to be sure of his crimes before calling him anything else. Other gelfling could call him a traitor, they could gossip and be foolish, but Seladon had to be better. 

Brea began to yawn and stopped to shake it away. Her mind drifted from the words in her journal to memories.

“This is the way of things,” Tavra had said earlier that night, as if no one could control what would happen. She remembered the sound of the Ritual Master’s fist slamming against the table and her mother’s nervous expression. She needed to speak to them, to make her point clear. They needed to understand. Why they didn’t already was a mystery. 

The sound of snow outside had stopped, the room was now silent. It was getting late. She rested her heavy head on her fist. Then it sunk lower against her journal as Brea slowly fell asleep. 

Her mind settled, still as a snowy field on a calm night. It was the time when day drifted into memory, not the turning of a page but the closing of the book. When the known world faded from the senses and dreams lived their story. In them, a resting mind could find new wisdom. A time as necessary for discovery as Brea’s reading, secretive and unbound. 

The feast was long over and the palace slept. Outside fresh snow concealed the ground in a sheet of white. In the moonlight there was no difference between the path, garden, and frozen pond. All were soft and bright and even.

Suddenly the smoothness was broken by a boot, sinking to the solid ground beneath. Followed by another as a paladin walked on through the courtyard, shadowed by a cloaked figure. They walked close, careful their snowy footprints gave the appearance of one traveler and not two.

Their tracks led to a stand of trees beside the barracks. Here they parted ways. The paladin went on to take his turn as guard, while his shadow stayed behind.

Alone among the trees, a sweeping hand tossed back the hood. Looking up at the stone building, Seladon breathed deep. Cold air swelled in her chest as she waited. It felt good to be alone. 

Her heart pounded remembering the night before. This was dangerous. The prisoner was vile and ruinous and so enticing. Despite what he was and all he’d done she longed to be near him.

If she happened to be seen, she would be ready with a lie. Seladon knew with the right story she was free to go almost anywhere. And anyone up at this hour would be as suspicious as she was.

A sliver of light shone through the back passage of the barracks catching her eye - the flash of a lantern. It told her the way was clear. 

Royal slippers pattered over stone steps as she followed the dim light downward into the passage. The stinking must of decay filled the air. She continued on through archways with creepers teeming in the edges and over the cracked ground flush with rancid blackwater. 

Ahead the light dimmed as the paladin wandered off to guard the main stairway. They shared a deception. This paladin kept her secrets with a promise she would keep his. It was an exchange of ignorance. 

Again they parted ways as she turned toward the cell at the end of the hall. The only light now came through its lone window. 

Hearing her, Gurjin stumbled to his feet. He looked back with a warmth out of place in his dark cage. Silver bars framed his face as he watched her, relieved she was safe and glad he wasn’t forgotten. This was not the traitor from her speech. 

“I was so worried” he whispered as she struggled with the key. She leaned forward to kiss him quiet. The lock clicked open.

She turned inside the cell as his hand passed over her hair. A protective arm draped over her shoulder pulling her close. She said nothing only nuzzled against his neck. 

“I thought they’d hurt you,” he continued.

His words, she knew, were poison but his voice was warm and deep.

“The skeksis?” she said, raising her head to look at him. She could feel the danger and smell it in his sweat.

A soft confident hand took his. Her slender fingers wrapped his palm against her neck in a dare. His hand was rough and fit easily over half her neck. It was a test for a murderer and a traitor. 

“It’s you I should worry about,” she replied.

His fingertips slid gently down, hand settling on her back. Her chin raised, mouth meeting his. The heat of his body held her as much as his arms did. For a killer he was so tender. 

The sense of wild freedom returned. The same feeling from the other night.  _ Traitor _ , the word echoed in her mind nearly drowned out by the beating of her heart. He held her so close and she longed to stay here in that darkness with him. 

The feeling was followed by a rush of fear. What would the others say if they saw her like this, on the floor of a cell, pinned to the ground rapt in the adoration of a criminal? The future ruler of the seven clans behaving like some commoner, uncultured and purposeless. But she wasn’t common. There would be consequences if she was caught in the arms of this caged creature. And long before the first sun rose, Gurjin was alone again.

\---

Seladon’s path led back over snowy footprints. 

She knew it would be good to be seen, so instead of returning to the palace she strayed toward the gate. There were always duties, excuses for her to be out early in the morning. Nearby was a paddock for the royal landstriders along with those of the visiting Castle Guard. No one would question this visit, as she wanted to check on them. 

She yawned as she looked them over. A dozen lanky beasts huddled together in the snow. Tavra’s favorite was missing. Her sister would be disappointed by the news. She would tell her over breakfast. Then Seladon was startled by a sound behind her. 

“Good morning!” shouted a familiar voice. 

“Brea! You’re up early,” she said with a grin.

“I can’t stop to talk now, if you see Mother tell her I’ve gone to the library!”

“Are you preparing a lecture for skeksis?”

“No, I do have questions for them though,”

“I’m sure you do,” Seladon replied, happy to have been seen. 

Brea waved goodby and continued on out the gates and into the village. 

The snow was already cleared from the village streets, scattered by the feet of busy Vaprans. Ha’rar was a proud city, and hosting the skeksis had everyone out and about. Merchants were out selling the finest things they had as crowds gathered around market stalls excitedly sharing news of last night’s feast. 

But Brea did not linger in town. There were no stops for ta or looking at the parchments and quills at the inkery. No pausing at the booksellers or cartographers. She was focused on getting to the library. 

So focused she was nearly struck by a passing cart. She stepped to the side just in time to dodge it as the podling pulled contraption rattled frantically past. Just up ahead was the library entrance.

She walked on briskly, hardly noticing her surroundings. Brea was too busy thinking through what she would say to the Librarian. 

Seladon had joked about a lecture, but perhaps that was the way she should approach this. A short lecture to remind her mother and the skeksis of their place in keeping the order of Thra. The skeksis were perfect and fair by nature and shouldn’t need reminding but maybe they were tired from their journey and she could inspire them. 

“Oh good!” She said seeing the librarian standing by the entrance leaning nervously against a pillar. 

“I need to see the Skeksis Book of Law, Early Codes of the Seven Clans, Order Beyond Aughra, Crystal Alignment and Cosmic Ways, and a book on frenzies, particularly those spread by dreamfast.” She said barely stopping to look around.

The librarian stared back with disappointment, then moved his attention to something behind her. She heard a thud. 

With a quick turn Brea saw a podling standing on one of the shelves. He had shoved a book off and onto the ground. It landed with the pages splayed open and another podling came and began dragging the heavy tome along by its cover. 

She wondered why they were allowed to dig freely in the stacks. Then she realized they were dragging the Skeksis Book of Law. 

“Oh wait, I need that!” she exclaimed stepping forward.

“Princess Brea stop,” the librarian said blocking her way with an outstretched arm, “please stand aside.”

“But I need that book!”

“The Scroll Keeper has asked to see some of our books.”

“But there are things I need to know, I have questions about the law!”

“That’s the last of our works on law,”

They watched a podling pass with an armful of scrolls, slipping and falling to the crackle of crumpling paper. He dusted himself off and kicked the scrolls in frustration.

The librarian looked on powerlessly, grimacing in disappointment. Brea rushed forward as the little servant gathered up the scrolls. Arms full again, he ran for the door.

“Stop!! Wait! Podling I need those! You can have them when I’m done!” Brea gave chase as he scrambled off.

By the time she was outside the scrolls had been heaped on a cart that was rapidly retreating down the road. It rattled away over the paving stones disappearing into the crowd.

It all was so frustrating Brea felt like she could scream. But she didn’t, it was time to figure out what to do next. With the library now quiet, she found a dusty book on frenzies spread by dreamfast and parasites of the senses. She said goodbye to the librarian and started down the road toward the palace.

The books she wanted were gone and Brea felt lost. She needed to speak to the Scroll Keeper. Perhaps they could share the books, reading side by side and discussing the law. She needed to understand, to know what he knew.

The walk home was a slow wander. Busy in thought, Brea kept taking wrong turns, realizing only too late that she had added more distance to her journey. Eventually she made her way back.

In the center of the great city sat the Citadel, a grand palace behind a shining gate. This was the center of gelfling power but to Brea it was home, a place of peace and safety. It was the backdrop to the mundane, arguments with her sisters and boring afternoons. She often forgot that not everyone saw the gate as she did, a place to pause before going home. And as she approached she heard a shout.

“But it’s wrong! Please you need to listen!” a voice pleaded. She saw a girl at the gate arguing with the guard. 

Something about her appearance made Brea smile. Maybe it was her hair, light and downy with messy braids, or the way she stood proudly, certain she’d be allowed in. Her brown eyes were unlike anything Brea had ever seen. Her dress was simple, made of decorated pieces of soft hide. The girl was a Grottan, a clan Brea had read about but she never expected to see one of the cave dwelling gelfling here. 

“I’ve already told you to go away!” the guard demanded. 

But the girl didn’t flinch. She was sweet in her anger, waiting patiently to speak again. Whatever upset her she deserved to be heard.

“Hello!” Brea interrupted them, “what’s going on here?”

“Princess Brea don’t trouble yourself,” the guard said.

“I’m not talking to you,” she said sternly, sounding more like her mother than herself.

The Grottan looked back, her head tilted slightly.

“Princess Brea,” she said, repeating the guard, “I’m Deet.”

“Hello Deet, what’s wrong?”

“So much!” she paused to take a breath, “the Sanctuary Tree sent me a vision and now I have to meet with the All Maudra. I have to tell her about the darkening but also I made a friend along the way. He’s a podling and he’s helping me. He tried to steal a dress and he was arrested by a paladin, which is awful because he wants to be a paladin. He was only trying to help me because my message is so important. I should be in trouble not Hup,” she took a quick breath, “oh his name is Hup.”

“As I said before, don’t bother with her princess,” the guard said ignoring the girl's story. 

Brea thought over what she had just been told, some of the details barely made sense. She’d never heard of a ‘darkiening’, though now she was curious about it. She looked back at the guard.

“The pod- Hup tried to steal?” She asked him and before he could answer she went on, “Let us in, we need to speak to my mother!”

Obediently, he bowed his head and opened the gate. Brea stepped through as Deet waited on the other side. 

With a smile the royal Vapra looked back, “come on we need to help your friend.” 

Then, with quick hopping steps, the Grottan ran to meet her. They walked together through the courtyard, Brea looking down in thought as Deet gazed all around at the snowy palace grounds. 

“This is so frustrating, I’ve been trying to understand how this works, who gets punished when and why. The more I see the less it makes any sense.” Brea said, as Deet walked quietly beside her. 

“For example, your friend shouldn’t be locked up. According to the Skeksis Book of Law trying to steal is not an arrestable misdeed. Though sometimes the rules seem to change at my mother’s whims, and someday my sister’s.”

“Isn’t that why she’s the All Maudra?”

“She’s not the All Maudra to just make up rules,” Brea said with a sigh.

They walked a few more paces. Deet put her hand on Brea’s shoulder to comfort her.

“I’m so lost. I need answers, but my books are gone.” Brea said, taking relief in having someone to confide in. “The skeksis have them.” 

“They took every book?”

“No, just the ones on law.”

“Hmm, you said those aren’t the rules anyone follows, maybe there aren’t any answers in them anyway. If the All Maudra makes up the rules you should read about them.” Deet said, trying to comfort the princess.

Brea stopped walking and looked to the horizon though not at anything particular. She turned to face Deet who smiled back trying to be friendly. 

“All you see is what’s happening now. Maybe reading books of old will help see the rules your ancestors followed.” The Grottan’s voice sounded like a song.

“You mean in history books or legends of the past. Deet you’re very insightful,”

“I can help” she blurted out, “since you’re helping me.”

“Alright, but first let’s free your friend.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been forever since I posted!!! I haven't forgotten about this fandom and hope to post more soon! 
> 
> Thanks to my beta for keeping me on track :) and thanks for reading!


End file.
